From: Platt Holden (pholden@sc.rr.com)
Date: Mon Nov 25 2002 - 01:00:03 GMT
Hi DMB:
> The reason I keep bringing this
> same quote from the book is precisely because its so straitforward. I
> honestly don't see how it can mean more than one thing.
Your interpretation of Pirsig's "intellectually she's nowhere" line to
mean Lila possesses absolutely no intellect is contradicted
straightforwardly in the following passage in Chapter 24 (as well as in
other places previously cited):
"Within this evolutionary relationship it is possible to see that intellect
has functions that predate science and philosophy. The intellect's
evolutionary purpose has never been to discover an ultimate meaning of
the universe. That Is a relatively recent fad. Its historical purpose has
been to help a society find food, detect danger, and defeat enemies. It
can do this well or poorly, depending on the concepts it invents for this
purpose.
"The cells Dynamically invented animals to preserve and improve their
situation. The animals Dynamically invented societies, and societies
Dynamically invented intellectual knowledge for the same reasons.
Therefore, to the question, "What is the purpose of all this intellectual
knowledge?" the Metaphysics of Quality answers, "The fundamental
purpose of knowledge is to Dynamically improve and preserve society."
Knowledge has grown away from this historic purpose and become an
end in itself just as society has grown away from its original purpose of
preserving physical human beings and become an end in itself, and this
growing away from original purposes toward greater Quality is a moral
growth. But those original purposes are still there. And when things get
lost and go adrift it is useful to remember that point of departure."
This leaves no doubt whatsoever that humans had and used intellect
from the beginning of their appearance on earth, “to preserve and
improve their situation.” All humans have intellect. To suggest that an
individual’s religious beliefs, political leanings, or sexual practices are
the decisive criteria in determining intellect is, to borrow a phrase,
"quite preposterous." In discussing intellect, "it's useful to remember the
point of departure."
Platt
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